A Hyena's Pride
by mellra
Summary: He was born to be a leader. However, a selfish lion took away his birthright and his family. Now being raised among the Pride, will Naruto have what it takes to lead the hyena packs? Maybe with the help of the future king he might! Challenge fic.


**Disclaimer:** Do I have to say it?

 **AN:** I just had an ambitious idea for a Naruto/Lion King crossover challenge after listening to some Lion King music on my smartphone! At first I thought of having Naruto be born a fox that winds up in Africa, but then that I thought that having Naruto as a fox would be a little cliché. So then I came up with the idea that Naruto be born a hyena instead! It helps that hyenas are one of the few species that has a sense of humor. The idea goes like this:

Minato and Kushina were the leaders of the hyena pack who had a peace treaty with the lions, but then Scar came along and killed Minato to gain control of the pack for his plans. He then attempted to kill a pregnant Kushina, but she was able to flee though heavily injured.

She made her way to Pride Rock and gave birth to Naruto a few months before Simba was born, but died immediately after. Naruto grew up alongside Simba to become his friend and advisor like Zazu did for Mufasa. After Mufasa's death and Simba's self-imposed exile, Naruto went sniffing for him as he didn't believe him to be dead and knew that with the king dead he'd have a target on his back due to being the rightful heir as leader of the hyena pack. Now I know many of you would like a supernaturally talented or reincarnated Naruto in these kind of stories, but in this one he'll just be an average hyena with Naruto's natural charisma and stamina.

Again, **CHALLENGE** people! That means that unless someone adopts this or I decid otherwise, this will remain a one shot so please, if you or a friend is interested don't hesitate to ask via PM or Review. Now, on with the show!

 **A Hyena's Pride**

 **Pride Lands**

The sun was just rising over the Savannah, promising a bright new day, but all was not well. In the shadow of Pride Rock, small figure limped forward, a trail of blood being left in it's wake. Two lionesses who were standing guard saw the figure approach and stepped towards it.

"Halt! State your name and what business you have in these lands." The one on the right said.

"Please, I mean no harm, I seek audience with the king," the figure said in a weak voice before limping into the light. When the sentries saw who it was, they immediately got into defensive positions.

"A hyena! What's a filthy scavenger like you doing here?! The treaty clearly states that our territory is off limits to your kind!" The one lioness growled.

The hyena, who was a female of reddish tinged fur and showed clear signs of both pregnancy and being heavily wounded, bowed her head in a submissive jester. "That...is why I'm here...the packs...must warn Mufasa that Minato..." She mumbled out before collapsing to her side in exhaustion.

Unsure of what to make of this, one of the lionesses stayed outside to make sure this wasn't a trick while the other went to get the king. A few moments later Mufasa, king of the Pride Lands, came out of the den to see the strange hyena who wanted to see him. When the king saw the reddish coloring to her fur he gasped, "Kushina! What happened?" Turning to his guards he ordered, "Get her inside! And summon Rafiki to see if he can heal her."

A few hours later, the now named Kushina was lying in a makeshift bed while an aged baboon named Rafiki, who acted as both a medicine man and shaman for the pride tended over her. After doing what he could for the female hyena, Rafiki went over to Mufasa and the lionesses who were standing intently nearby. Stepping forward, Mufasa asked, "Tell me, old friend, will she live?"

The old shaman shook his shaggy head with a sigh, feeling his age for the first time in a long while. "She 'tis hangin on to 'da best o' her abilities. 'Tis amazing she made it here at 'tall with those injuries. I'll do what I can ta save da baby, but methinks her time 'tis short. Best 'ta make her as comfortable as possible befer da end."

Hearing this, Mufasa hung his head sadly. While he personally never cared much for hyenas, sadistic scavengers that they were, that changed when the current pack leader came into power. His name was Minato and, while fairly young to be leading such a large and disorganized group, he had amazing promise. A couple years ago, not too long after Mufasa himself ascended to the throne, Minato came into the Pride Lands alone in order to ask for an audience with him. While skeptical on anything that a hyena could say to him, Mufasa allowed it in that he admired the courage the hyena leader had for stepping into territory where he could easily be killed without escort alone. Needless to say, Mufasa was pleasantly surprised on the formal and respectful tone which Minato spoke to him. The more they talked, the more friendly they became with each other. Finally, by the time the day was done, the two leaders had a firm hand in friendship. Minato swore that he would keep the hyenas in line and bring order to the packs while Mufasa allowed an extension of the hyena's territory. Later, Mufasa met with Minato again as well as his mate Kushina. Like with Minato, Mufasa was pleasantly surprised on how much wisdom Kushina had, and the king began to have high hopes for the future of the Pride Lands. This may soon be coming to an end though, as Mufasa feared the worst due to Kushina's condition and the fact that Minato was nowhere in sight. The lion knew that Minato would never intentionally leave Kushina's side, especially with her in such a terrible shape.

Stepping forward, Mufasa saw that the red furred hyena had awakened and was weakly looking at him. "Y-your highness…" she mumbled.

"Shh, you must save your strength Kushina. You need to hang on for the sake of your cub," Mufasa quietly instructed the hyena.

With a slightly renewed vigor, Kushina spoke in a stronger voice, "I will hold on, but I must warn you of what has happened," she began before gasping in pain, both from the birthing pains and the pain from her wounds.

Mufasa was about to tell her to tell him after the birth, but Kushina continued, "I-I know I don't have much time left, which is why I must tell you this now before it is too late." Hesitantly, Mufasa nodded his head to allow her to continue. Kushina said, "I'm not too sure of the details myself, as I wasn't there at the time due to Minato having me in our den because of my pregnancy. What I did find out though, was that someone from the Pride Lands came into our territory and challenged Minato for the rights to the hyena packs. Minato tried to refuse at first, since he tries to avoid unnecessary conflict, but a large portion of the pack insisted upon it. Apparently, there are those who were uncomfortable with the changes Minato was making to the packs and either wanted him gone or to prove himself to the packs. Eventually, Minato relented. From what I understand, the fight was fairly even with Minato even having a slight advantage. However, it is suspected through foul play, but the opponent was able to trick Minato and used the distraction to mortally wound him. From there, the opponent declared himself the leader of the hyena packs and decided to have anyone loyal to Minato removed. Some of the more violent hyenas eagerly obeyed these orders and started to slaughter those loyal to Minato and me. The only reason I was able to get away at all was because one of Minato's friends in the pack sacrificed himself to by me enough time to escape. Even then I was mortally wounded, but I was able to use my remaining strength to come here and warn you about this your highness."

Kushina ended her warning with a rattling cough, specks of blood flying out of her mouth. As Rafiki went to help her through the birthing process that had started, Mufasa's mind was going a mile a minute. Minato was dead? And someone from the Pride Lands now controlled all the hyena packs? This was most disturbing, more so then the times before Minato became the leader. Even though the hyenas were violent scavengers, they still had a fairly easy mindset to understand since all the hyenas wanted similar things, making them predictable. With a new leader, one who isn't from the packs in charge, this made it so none of the Pride could figure out their next move. His thought process was broken when he heard the sounds of childbirth taking place. Soon, the cries of a newborn hyena cub echoed throughout the cave.

Rafiki held the newborn carefully in his hands. The cub had streaks of blonde throughout his fur like his father, but the shape of the face was more like his mother's. Gently, the baboon showed Kushina her newborn cub. Smiling weakly, Kushin turned to Mufasa once more and whispered, "His name…will be Naruto…which means maelstrom in the language of our people…Your majesty…before I pass on…may I have one last request?"

With a determined look in his eyes, Mufasa said, "Anything."

"Please…could you look after Naruto? He is…will be…the rightful heir to the hyena packs. If the one who killed Minato finds out…his life will be in danger…So please…watch after him…make sure he'll follow the right path…and let him know…that his parents…loved…" with that, Kushina sighed one last time and laid still. Rafiki, already knowing what he would find, gently placed his ear against Kushina's chest to hear for a heartbeat. After a minute, the shaman looked at his king and shook his head solemnly.

Both the king and the lionesses bowed their heads in respect for the recently departed, while in his mind Mufasa swore, 'I will Kushina…Minato."

 **Time Skip: Hours Later**

Mufasa looked over the sleeping form of the newborn Naruto, who was currently resting in the area where most of the newborn lion cubs are kept after Rafiki gave him a clean bill of health. Fortunately, his mate Sarabi another lioness named Sarafina were the only two expecting cubs, and they weren't due for another few weeks. This gave him plenty of time to determine what to do with the new ward of the Pride. While it was not unheard of, it was highly irregular for groups of animals to adopt a member outside their own species. Though there wasn't so much a question that Naruto would be watched after the pack. Not only was he going to be in danger of the hyena pack and their mysterious new leader until he was old enough, but Mufasa gave his word to Kushina he would look after the child, and he was a king who kept his word.

One of the things he would need to address before too long was to let the rest of the Savannah know that the treaty with the hyena packs was pretty much null and void now that Minato was dead. There was no telling what this mysterious new master had planned, but Mufasa would bet his life on it not being anything good for the kingdom. Then he had to learn how to raise Naruto. While not an expert in child raising, let alone _hyena_ child raising, he doubted it would be too different from raising a lion cub, and the lionesses in the pack had a fair amount of experience with that. The next thought that occurred to the lion is that he'd have to teach the young male politics when he grew old enough to understand. Not only did Naruto have his parent's legacy to live up too, but if he was ever to regain his father's control over the hyena packs he'd need to be as political-savvy as Minato was.

Then it hit him on what to do. Going outside the den, Mufasa called on his closest friend and advisor, "Zazu! I request your presence!"

The red-billed hornbill flew down from his perch on the top of Pride Rock and landed a few feet from the king. Bowing respectfully, Zazu asked, "You called me, your highness?"

Mufasa nodded. "Indeed I have my old friend. I take it you are aware of these new events?"

Zazu sniffed. "Yes I did. Nasty business with the hyenas that. At least they were somewhat civilized under Minato's rule. Now I bet they'll go back to the brainless savages they once were. I'm sorry to hear about Minato and Kushina though, I know you were rather fond of their company."

Solemnly, Mufasa said, "Indeed, which comes to why I have called you. I require your assistance in the raising of young Naruto."

Zazu looked surprised at this. "They hyena cub? Sire, I have no knowledge on how to raise any sort of infant, and I'm hardly qualified to do so."

Mufasa elaborated, "Correct, but that is not what I'll need your help with. While I suspect the lionesses will be capable of taking care of his physical needs, I need your help with his mental needs." Seeing Zazu's confused expression, Mufasa went on, "When Naruto is old enough, I want you to teach him everything you know about being an advisor."

Startled, Zazu said, "Are you saying you wish for Naruto to become my predecessor for when your child takes the throne? Sire, are you sure that's wise? Hyenas don't have the best reputation among the other packs and herds. Hearing you have taken one in may cause some unrest but who knows what will happen when it becomes known that you are raising him to be the advisor of your own child? It could very well cause doubt to be cast on your position as king!"

"I'm well aware of the risks, Zazu. However, there are several reasons why I have decided to do this," Mufasa explained. "First of all, my child will need their own personal advisor growing up as I had you, so to cement their bonds and understanding of each other. The second is, if Naruto ever decides to reclaim leadership over the hyena packs, it would help if he has the political knowhow. Not only that, but if he does ever reclaim leadership of the packs, it could mean a permanent truce with the hyenas without any political fallout. Finally, I believe that placing the child under your capable wings would help to ease any doubts the rest of the Savannah might feel."

Hesitantly, Zazu nodded. "I…see your point sire. Very well, I will try my best to teach Naruto how to be a proper advisor for a king."

Smiling, Mufasa said, "I could expect no less from you, my friend. Come, let us meet your new charge." With that, the lion and bird headed back into the den of Pride rock, neither noticing the calculating pair of cunning green and yellow eyes watching from the distance, the left of which had a scar running down the eyelid.

"So…Minato's mate survived long enough to give birth to his heir, did she?" Scar frowned, wondering how this would interfere with his plans. Gaining a crafty smirk, he growled, "It matters not. In a few years' time, this kingdom will belong to me long before the whelp becomes a threat to my plans. I must be careful though, because thanks to that red wench Mufasa knows the hyena packs are under new leadership. If I play my cards right, Mufasa won't figure it out until it is too late. Then…it will be _my_ turn to rule!" With that, a dark chuckle echoed through the area until Scar's presence disappeared from the area.

 **Several Years Later**

Simba, the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, prince of the Pride Lands, was in the fields not too far from Pride Rock. The young lion cub was practicing his hunting skills by using a small butterfly as his target. Crouching in the long grass, Simba muttered to himself, "Alright, this time I'm gonna catch it in one go!"

He was so solely focused on the butterfly that the prince didn't even notice the blue eyes that were staring out at him from behind yet another area of long grass, nor did he hear the soft padding of paws getting closer and closer to him. Just as Simba was about to launch himself at the insect, a furry blonde blur sprung out and tackled him to the ground, causing him to yelp in shock. The two figures tussled around for a few moments, scaring the butterfly away. Once the prince was able to get the figure off him, he looked on in surprise before replacing it with a glare. There, standing calmly as if he didn't just ambush another living being, was Naruto. The male had grown a little since his mother entrusted him to the Pride, though he was still slightly shorter than Simba due to the species difference. His fur still had the blonde streaks in it that had spread a little over the years, and his blue eyes danced with mischief.

Still glaring, Simba growled, "Dang it Naruto, stop doing that! You made me lose my prey this time!"

Grinning tauntingly, Naruto said, "Sorry your highness, just wanted to see if you remembered to keep track of your surroundings while on a hunt. Guess you still need more practice, huh?" With that, Naruto threw back his head and gave the familiar hyena laugh, much to Simba's dismay.

"Yeah whatever you jerk," Simba mumbled before the two stared intently at each other but soon broke down into hysterics. Once they calmed down enough Simba said, "Well, guess you got me good this time but I'll make sure to repay the favor later. What are you doing out anyway? I thought you had lessons with Zazu until the sun is in the middle of the sky.

Giving another bark of laughter, Naruto said, "Well…let's just say his lessons were let out early today."

With a deadpan Simba said, "Let me guess: you skipped out again today didn't you, and now Zazu's going to be looking for you over the whole Savannah before finding out you were in the area the entire time."

Laughing, Naruto said, "Oh, you know me too well! Don't worry though, because knowing that old ball of feathers it'll be at least a few hours before he realizes I'm here. So, what d'yah wanna play today?"

"Well I was playing hunter before I was so rudely interrupted. Would you care to join me?" Simba asked.

"You're on!" Naruto exclaimed, "Same contest as always then?"

"Yep! Last one to catch anything's a smelly warthog, Simba called before bounding away. Laughing, Naruto ran to keep up with his friend and his soon to be king. Just another day in the Pride Lands.

 **AN:** Remember, please Read, Review, and let me know if any of you wish to Adopt!


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